


Payment Plan: Fourth Installment

by Indehed



Series: Bride Price [4]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Possessive Steve McGarrett
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-31
Updated: 2013-07-31
Packaged: 2017-12-21 23:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/906338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indehed/pseuds/Indehed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone on this island was insane. All except his perfect Gracie, that was. They would have to be, for them to be here to watch him give himself to Steve like it was simply a formality after their two year partnership.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for sticking with me while this 'verse takes shape. I'm loving the comments and the debates raging over both loving and hating aspects of it!  
> As always, thanks to Paulette for the beta and making sure I don't lose my Danny voice in this.

They were quite a sight as they made their way back to the car. Danny's feet ached from the rocky path and from where he'd dug in against Steve during their fight, his side still had a twinge from where he'd cut it on the tree and his wrists hadn't been happy for quite a while now. 

For his part, Steve had a slight limp from where his knee took a hit and he kept touching his jaw, checking for swelling. But the man was still happy with himself, because, with a hand lightly touching Danny's lower back, he was leading him over to the car. Willingly. 

He opened the car door for Danny with a flourish, closing it behind him as Danny folded himself in, aware of his balance without being able to fully use his hands. Once he was in the driver's seat, Steve leaned over and helped Danny buckle up, like the fastening was helping to secure Danny in more ways than one. 

"Nothing really has to change, Danny. You'll see," he smiled as he started the engine.

"Oh except my living arrangements since I'm supposed to move in with you… and you get my car…"

"Okay, first," Steve held a finger up, "You've lived with me before, when you were looking for a place, and that was fine, even with you on the couch. And two," he held up a second finger. "I drive this car all the time anyway, it's practically mine as it is. Everyone thinks so."

"Just because everyone thinks so, doesn't make it right."

"It is now."

"Yeah," Danny turned in his seat. "Because you are damaged in the head. You have enough emotional baggage to ground a 747, and you're using it against me."

"I'm not using it _**against**_ you. And I'm not damaged, Danny, why do you have to say that? I'm…. driven." He seemed to gesture to the road in front of him as they made their way back the two streets over to the house. 

"Driving me insane, more like," Danny mumbled as he slunk down into his seat, still fumbling against his binds. He'd pretty much given up on Steve taking them off him now, not until the ceremonial aspect was done.

"We'll need to get cleaned up. You ripped your shirt. Is your side okay?"

"I barely feel it," Danny shrugged off.

"I'm sure we've got something in the first aid kit, and Chin did bring a few of your clothes anyway so we could decide what to wear, so that's something." He looked down at where Danny was twisting his wrists around. "Would you stop that, please? You're just hurting yourself."

"They're uncomfortable. I don't like them. It would be easier if you took them off…" He figured he may as well hedge his bets as he waggled them in Steve's eye line.

"Well, that's not going to happen until the ceremony is over. And they're uncomfortable _because_ you keep fidgeting."

They pulled into the driveway to find Kono and Max anxiously waiting for them. Danny could see their sighs of relief from here. "Oh my God. They're happy for us, aren't they. All of them."

"It's not so hard to believe. They saw it coming a mile off, according to the messages I got this morning. They didn't even gripe about the fact that we wanted to do it so quickly."

"You wanted," Danny corrected.

" _ **We**_ wanted," Steve corrected back, alluding to the night before when Danny had been happy to do anything Steve wanted. He had a vague recollection of even agreeing to a night swim, but thankfully that hadn't happened as they'd become so caught up in all the planning for this and then collapsed in Steve's big bed together. Where he thinks he promised Steve a morning blow job. Which also didn't happen due to the epic hangover and shell shock that came when he woke up.

Danny squirmed in his seat, managing to get his arms around to press the release on his seatbelt, and fumbled to get it away from him, but he made no move to get out of the car yet, instead took calming breaths. He'd got himself into this, and he would just have to deal with it. Steve was right, even if he was being an ass. He needed to follow through for so many reasons and could only hope that after the people had gone and they were alone, that he could try and get Steve to back down and renegotiate. 

He couldn't deny that he was monumentally attracted to Steve, mental state at times notwithstanding. Thoughts of Steve had often kept him awake at night and those were now clearly being returned in spades if the night before was anything to go by. In many ways he had no problem with getting married to Steve. It was just the way it was being done that really didn't sit right with him. 

True, Steve's controlling side had its advantages. Right now wasn't one of those times. 

"Just out of curiosity," Danny began, scratching his cheek as he looked over at Steve. "How 'traditional' is traditional?"

"You're wearing those aren't you?" Steve pointed at Danny's cuffs. "And we've got the cloth and the standard vows. It's traditional enough."

Danny nodded and blew out a breath while Steve came round and opened his door. He climbed out, holding onto Steve's hand and Steve kept hold of him as they made their way to where Kono was tapping her foot restlessly and Max kept looking around himself as if worried people would see them like this. 

"Danny, what the hell?!" Kono began, hands open as her eyes showed a hint of anger and worry at his actions. But he didn't answer her.

"You know," Max began. "Cold feet or 'jitters' are a common occurrence, especially in secondaries. In fact-"

"Max, we don't have time, could you…?" Steve cut him off and gestured to Kono to take Danny in and upstairs to clean up. 

"Sure thing, boss," Kono took Danny by the elbow and marched him up to the bedroom. Danny glanced behind him and saw Steve wipe a tired hand over his face before turning to where Chin was coming from the kitchen. Their eyes met briefly before Chin led Steve away separately, but he couldn't decipher what he saw play across the older Detective's face.

Kono and Max were a blur of action while Danny did his best to clean up in the bathroom. He hadn't been allowed to close the door: it was as if they were scared he'd lock himself in and refuse to come out for the ceremony. It was a thought that had entered his agitated head, but he was tamping down on it as much as possible, refusing to give in again to his flight instincts.

He dabbed at his injured side with an alcohol wipe. It was shallow and did little more than sting as he wiped the dried blood away and checked it wasn't bleeding again. He sat on the toilet to rub at his feet, taking the dirt and grime away from them as best he could, but really not caring too much. Then he looked his hands over and realized there was no way he could twist them around enough to help the chafed and split skin there. As it was, his dirty shirt was bunched around his elbows. He couldn't get it off unless he tore it or the cuffs were removed. The same for getting a new one on. 

He came out of the bathroom to find Kono had laid out new clothes for him on the bed. He lifted his hands. "Can you unclasp these for me?"

She frowned at him and bit her lip. "I'm not supposed to, you're not marrying me."

"I can't get dressed with them on." Logic won out and she took his hands gently in her own to find the clasp on the back that widened them enough for him to slip his hands free. He shook them out. "Oh thank God," he moaned with delight, flexing his wrists and heading back into the bathroom to run them under a cold tap. 

She joined him a moment later, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. "You left your phone. It went off a few times. Your mom. I didn't answer it," she held her hands up defensively when Danny shot her a look. "You've got voicemail, though. It pinged on your screen. She might have left a few."

Danny hung his head. Every time people mentioned something, parts of his memory of the night before returned full force. Now he could add a drunken phone call to his parents in that. He'd left a message for them saying he was getting married today and not to worry about him and Grace anymore. Oh God, his mother was going to kill him. She'd have to do it later, though. There was no way he was ready to speak to her yet. First, he had to work out what the hell to say to her… how to explain…

Kono held his phone out to him. "You want to call her back?" 

He shook his head while rummaging in the medicine cabinet for ointment. "I'll do it later."

"But it's your mother."

"Exactly," Danny said as he rubbed the antiseptic on his wrists. 

"You think she's upset she can't be here?" Kono showed her innocence of the situation and Danny hated to burst her bubble. This was his problem; he didn't want to lay it at her feet. 

"Something like that," he faked a smile and went back into the bedroom and sat while he pulled his fresh shirt on. She gave him some time, joining Max on the landing and letting him head back downstairs while she kept guard over him in case he tried to leave again. Whether she'd been ordered to or not, he didn't know. It was highly possible she saw this the same way Steve did, she looked up to him so much, and she and Chin always upheld Hawaiian traditions. 

Everyone on this island was insane. All except his perfect Gracie, that was. They would have to be, for them to be here to watch him give himself to Steve like it was simply a formality after their two year partnership. What had they all been thinking these past years? Did they all just assume this day would come? The day that Danny signed as a secondary to Steve. The equal partnership that Steve hid inside as the benign Dictator. Though not so benign at times, including now. 

He got lost in thought as he redressed and wasn't paying a huge amount of attention when Kono came back in again and sat beside him. "You ready? Steve's at the bottom of the stairs waiting for you."

Danny rubbed his hands on his knees. "Yeah," he turned to her. "Let's get this thing over with."

She took in his sullen expression and softened with a quizzical look. "You don't sound too excited, Danny. It's your wedding day. I know you had one before but you can't be that jaded. It's you and Steve. This is a good thing."

"You seem to have a vested interest in my love life."

"I just want you happy, brah," she knocked her shoulder into his and he felt himself give his first genuine smile of the day to her. "Steve's always made you happy."

"He always makes me happy?"

She shrugged. "Even when you fight it's still there, I mean, come on… You guys never even really admit to fighting. To you it's just a conversation."

He pulled her in and kissed her hair. "Come on then, rookie. Time to face the music."


	2. Chapter 2

Danny ran his hands over his shirt, smoothing it down. He missed his tie considering how dressed up he was supposed to be, especially since they weren't wearing jackets. But on the other hand, he'd rather keep this event as low-key as possible. He wasn't that far off from his usual, everyday style, it was just that he was wearing his more expensive pants and shirt. 

Kono hung back and let him take the lead as he made his way across the landing, and began his descent down the stairs. 

Steve turned from where he was standing by the couch and lifted his head when he heard the creek on the top stair. He smiled wide, eyes crinkling at the corners and he seemed to relax in the space of a second, seeing Danny in front of him. 

"Wow," he said, looking Danny over appreciatively. "This is exactly what I imagined."

"Imagined?" Danny asked, a hand waving in front of him as he gestured around the mostly empty room. "You prepared everything in the space of about 10 hours. Not sure you had much time for imagining."

"Doesn't mean I haven't been wanting it to happen for a long time, and thinking about it." Steve reached out to Danny's shoulder, his hand warm through the thin shirt. "Something's missing though."

Steve gestured to Kono and held his other hand out. Danny twisted his hips enough to watch as she placed the gold binds back in Steve's hand and he groaned. He'd half hoped everyone would forget about them now they were off but no such luck. 

"Seriously, Steve, do I have to?"

"It's expected, Danny."

"It's primeval, Steven."

Steve pointed to himself with the binds still loosely in his grasp. "I don't make the rules, Danno. It's just how it is. The secondary wears them for the ceremony, and today, that's you."

"Today and for the rest of our contract, yay me," Danny lifted his shoulders and smiled sarcastically.

"Just give me your hands." When Danny didn't move Steve glared at him. "Give me your hands."

He cleared his throat and lifted them, watching as Steve slid them over and tightened them on his wrists. He winced as the metal once more rubbed against the sensitive skin there. Steve's thumb trailed over the welts carefully as he pinned the clasp into place on top, where now only he would be able to release Danny later on. 

Dropping his wrists in front of himself again, letting his arms look weightless, he turned to find that everyone had left them alone in the house, with the back door ajar. Danny knew that everyone was outside waiting on them. He turned back to Steve. 

"How many people did you invite?"

" _ **We**_ invited just a few. I don't know, maybe 15 or 20 tops since some people brought dates with them." Steve looked at Danny, curiously, seeing his nerves for what they were. He placed an arm between Danny's and crossed his other over to seal the hold of their arms in place like some parody of the binds on Danny's wrist. 

The service was pretty much a blur for Danny. He and Steve had walked out together into a pile of people he recognized from the Islands that today he had an irrational hatred of. They all turned, looking happy for them and Danny spent his time walking between them wondering if any of them had a clue as to how he really felt. 

The Governor read out words that any ten year old could recognize from a string of romantic movies and both Steve and Danny repeated what they should.

He looked around at the others who had gathered for them. Recognizable faces from work like Charlie, Duke, Max and the rest of Five-0. Kamekona and his cousin were here since Steve had called on them last night to do a special deal for the event catering. And yeah, Doris was here, sitting in the front, close to Steve and she looked, well, Danny couldn't tell if she looked happy or not. She never gave much away. She hadn't been back in Steve's life for long and Danny wasn't happy about it. She'd screwed up his life once, giving him the issues that were now badly affecting Danny. He could only guess what would happen to Steve with whatever she did to him next.

Steve looked good in his suit, that much Danny could appreciate. He also wore just the dress pants and shirt, but where Danny had the binds to distinguish him apart, Steve had the light ivory cloth wrapped over his shoulders. Of course, being Hawaii, it had been combined with a lei and hung from him, swaying gently with a breeze or when he shifted his weight. 

When the Governor asked him to, Steve let go of Danny's hands and lifted the cloth from around his neck and wrapped it around Danny's wrists, once again repeating vows with every turn of the material until it was snug on top of the binds. He kept one hand above and one below the material and looked at Danny. 

The Governor cleared his throat and Danny was brought back to himself. He looked down at their hands then back up. "Sorry, nerves," he explained and there was a murmured laugh from their small crowd. "Uhm, I do."

In the next moment, there was applause and cheers and Steve's lips on Danny's. His head tilted back against Steve's superior height and a certain amount of getting carried away when he felt Steve's tongue lick along his lips asking to let their embrace deepen. If only for a moment it did, until Steve pulled back, smiling, turning to thank the people around them as he kept an arm around a still somewhat dazed Danny. 

It had actually happened. After the craziest night and morning of his entire life, Danny was standing here, in front of people he knew, getting married as a secondary to Steve McGarrett after having signed up to what was both the best and worst deal he could come up with. His head hurt from the stress and thinking and arguing. His wrists and feet hurt from their confrontation and now he somehow had to muster up the energy to be nice to these people. 

And he still had to phone his mother back. 

In the next moment the one precious thing in his life came bounding up to him and threw her arms around him. Her smile was enough to wash away his current woes and he let her enjoyment of the moment affect him as much as possible. His arms wrapped over her head to rest on her shoulders; the cloth having come away again, no longer needed now the ceremony was over, all that remained were the golden cuffs. 

"Danno, are you moving in with Uncle Steve?" she asked, wide eyed as she looked up at him. 

"Is that what you want?"

"He has a beach. And now you're married you're supposed to sleep in the same bed."

"Then I guess I'm moving in."

Steve lowered himself closer to Grace's level. "What do you think, Gracie? I know this whole thing was fast. Are you sure you're happy about me and Danno?"

She nodded as she turned to lean back against Danny, his arms still over her shoulders. "Mom says it took you long enough."

"Nothing much has to change, unless you want it to," Steve reassured her, and now Danny hated him even more because he was being endearing. He was being good with Grace, just like always, and she loved him so much. He hated that he was angry at Steve for everything today, especially when he was turning on the charm. "I just want you to know that I'm gonna take good care of Danno. And you."

"I know," she lifted Danny's hands away and moved forward enough to wrap herself around Steve, and Danny could tell from the flashes around them that someone, maybe more than just one person, had decided it would make a perfect snapshot. 

"Why don't you go get some food, Monkey. Best get in before all the good stuff is gone. You remember Kamekona and Flipper, right? They'll help you out." He shooed her away, ever aware of her movement, but he knew that Rachel, who was here also, was keeping a good eye on her from where she was sitting talking with Duke and his new partner.

Having a moment to themselves, Danny held his hands up again. "Ceremony's over. Can you…?"

"Not yet. We gotta do the whole cake thing and the grand unlocking. Kono will kill me if we don't do it right and they're her family's cuffs so I'm not going to argue with her."

"You're infuriating," Danny muttered and then decided he didn't want to look at Steve at the moment and instead made his way into the small crowd of people. He'd rather plaster a smile on his face and put up with the ribbing and the pats on the back, than listen to Steve say anything. At least for the next ten minutes, that would be bliss.

Oh God, he remembered as he caught sight of a grinning Kono chatting with Chin. 

He still had to phone his mother.

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like I just killed Dumbledore or something, all these passionate comments that are like gasoline to me. Just saying.  
> I know you all hate me a little bit right now but please, let me get to my endgame before the lynching. Ta muchly.


End file.
